Thanksgiving Extravaganza!!!

I had four days off (so did the boys) this weekend. It was a nice little break, but I'm not at the point where I'm sick of school. So I am actually looking forward to going back and finishing up this first set of classes. I have my paper to finish, a few more tests, and one final. Then I have a month break. That's all well and good, but, like I said before, at this point in the game I don't really need the break...or do I? We just had a really busy holiday weekend. This weekends festivities are the start of what will not finish until February really.

We start with Thanksgiving for Dirty's side and Thanksgiving/Christmas for my side of the family. This year, and I'm thinking it's pretty similar to years past, we start out slow then have a total blowout with my family's celebration on Saturday. The food only got better as the weekend progressed. I love going to my family's functions because I get to eat true Filipino dishes like chicken adobo, pianono (sweet rice cakes), pancit, and the pork cooked in it's own blood (which Tito Poli was so kind to help me with the pronunciation, but that I can't remember today). Really I have never been brave enough to try the pork cooked in it's own blood, but I like bringing it up for the ew-factor. I live with all boys remember...I think my sense of humor is slightly tilted in toward their humor. It was planned as a formal dinner by my wacky auntie.

Auntie Vivien, as I said before, is a little wacky. She likes to make elaborate plans and menus. God bless her, because our family get togethers are nothing if not impromptu at every turn. This year on the itinerary was a napkin folding class, a turkey muffin decorating class (this did not happen), formal-wear for dinner (this also, for the most part, did not happen, but I will describe more later), and, as always, a short sermon with the topic of what thankfulness is and what we are thankful for. I lucked out and got the bible verse that was shortest. I Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always, which was good because I wasn't filmed for more than 30 seconds. I missed the part of the e-mail (which I didn't get until Thursday anyway because of multiple personal e-mail accounts) about formal dinner-wear being required.

I did dress nicer than just knit-wear with elastic waistbands and a hoodie, but because of a hold-up in the laundry sector I wasn't dressed as nicely as I was hoping. My original choice was to have dark washed jeans with a black empire-waisted silk top so as to still look cute but not have to suck in my tummy all night. I ended up in a very fitted low cut black tank top. I still looked cute but man was I uncomfortable most of the evening. My wacky auntie conducted napkin-folding class, ran around the kitchen and dining room trying to get the tables set formally, then she disappeared to change. When she emerged from the bathroom she was wearing black leather pants, black and white cowboy boots, a black leather vest, and a white shirt that had the buttons covered with embroidered fabric. There was also a matching jacket, but she was already pretty hot in all the other leather. Everyone got pictures*, and she was just as happy as a clam that everyone enjoyed her outfit as much as she did. After the picture-taking fiasco she gave her sermon and we ate. After some sitting around we took a family picture.

The previous year these were done after the presents were opened and there was more room. This year everyone just wanted to get to the dang presents, but a minor few wanted to have the picture taken before the presents. So we spread out across the livingroom in front of the tree and presents. I think that the photographers (guests who I think might be invited solely for the purpose of taking our family's picture) had to take two-three across depending on the camera. Then we stepped it up a notch from last year and also took a digital video to "view on youtube". I'm sure it will have a lot of groaning throughout. Finally it was present time.

I, over the years, have been given some pretty crazy things. I think it's gotten better on many fronts. The men-folk, last year and this, were given denim shirts. Last year there was only one style and it had a small embroidered "St. Louis" on the right with an arch and tiny skyline. This year all the guys got denim shirts, but they were all different colors of denim. I was sitting next to one of my four brothers, N, and he picked up his box and said, "This is probably a shirt." I looked at him and said, "Oh it's a shirt and I bet it's denim." He opened the box and it was a bright red shirt. I looked at it giggling and said, "IT IS DENIM!!! IT'S RED DENIM, TOO!!!" We were laughing so hard. Then once the family historians noticed that people got similar gifts a group picture was mandated. All the boys had to put on their shirts and smile for the camera. Dirty somehow was able to blend into the beige walls and didn't have to model his shirt. This was really one of the best family functions in my memory.

I think we all really enjoyed it here in the House Full of Boys. We laughed all night long and especially on the car ride home. These are just a few of my favorite memories from the night. Dirty said it was a tie between my wacky auntie and my cousin A. It's really too bad that it only happens once a year.

*I do not really like my camera. I would like to have a new digital camera that is just a camera. It really only needs to be a step or two up from the gumball machine toy that I gave Jake a year or so ago. I'm thinking Fuji or Canon about $150 (possibly less if it's decent). I'm writing this in case Santa is a reader of my blog. I don't think he is though, unless he's incognito, because I've never seen "North Pole" on feedjit. :D

"feeling good pants" and other random thoughts...

After a few weeks of eating whatever I've felt like, and feeling worse and worse, I have started an eating right plan. I am going to try and limit (drastically) the processed foods. My rule is "If it's processed drink a big cup of water first." The next rule is "Whenever I get that hungry feeling, drink a big cup of water." The last time I did this I lost eight pounds, and that was without exercising.

I also started with the first day of working out. I did 40 minutes of strength training, which should have been only that, but since I'm so out of shape it was also cardio. I measured all my problem areas, and I need to lose 6" off of my thighs to fit into my "feeling good pants". I'm going to try and work out daily like I was before I started school. I think that with that, and the limiting my calories, I should be able to get back to my pre-Monkey weight. Since I weigh as much now as I did when I was completely pregnant, and ready to give birth to him, losing the amount I want to shouldn't be a problem.

I've tried to post on here a couple of times since election and either had technical issues or felt that my work was uninspired there hasn't been anything. For instance, I wanted to post a video of Monkey dancing to RHCP "Especially in Michigan". I don't know what the problem is with the blogspot video player/downloader. I'm losing my focus and my eyes are tired.

I'll end with this story. I bought the generic proactiv at Target and started using it. It cleared up my forehead, and is starting to work on my chin. The blackheads are also gone from my nose. I guess because I was wearing the lotion at night that it spread to my eyes (where it's not supposed to go) and it totally dried the skin out. It's really awful and looks similar to how a rash looks at the end of running it's course. So after a couple days and the dried skin spots spreading to cover my entire eye area I decided not to use the lotion at night. I've had to moisturize like crazy trying to counteract the extremely drying effect that the lotion causes. I was hoping to go get my hair cut this weekend (another thing long overdue...it's been a year and a couple months), but the place I was going to go is a little hoity toity. I don't know if I want to show up in a hip salon with my eye area looking all crazy. So I think I'll postpone until...next week? We'll see.

Election Day...

Today is the day. Get out and vote today. My MOMS Club is finally implementing my idea for helping each other out on election day by watching each other's kids. I guess now it's something that helps out a bit more since our monthly meetings are on Tuesdays. When I suggested it a couple years back no one was interested.

I have been known in the past to complain about taking my kids with me, but I generally don't mind taking them with me to the polls. The Scientist gets to vote at school, and I think it's good for him to get to see the real thing. Originally, this year I was going to go after I finished my classes. I've decided to go ahead and take them before we all head to school. We drive right by my polling place anyway. I've already researched my ballot and have filled out the sample so that I can get through it quickly.

I'm excited this year to see the results. I don't really talk about my actual political views but I do have opinions. I will say that I do not like receiving forwards of other people's political opinions. The truth of the matter is that everyone votes according to what they feel are the issues that are most important to them. My important issues, that I don't mind sharing, are the economy and the environment. So do I want to get e-mail forwards about how Obama is a terrorist and couldn't be his own secret service agent if he were to be elected president or how he practically performs partial-birth abortions himself...ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! No matter who takes office the results of their efforts won't be immediate. We are still a nation of over-the-top-everything.